I've just reached the middle section of the novel I'm writing. I went through a low point 12,000 words in, when everything felt like an uphill struggle, but then I hit my stride. However, things have slowed up again in the last week. It’s partly the sheer amount of other stuff happening with life in … Continue reading Stuck in the middle
Category: For writers – methods
Recreating the seasons in fiction
Last winter, whilst missing green willows, dangling their branches in the Cam, and cattle out grazing on the commons, I wrote a story set in Cambridge in summer. It was fun to transport myself to the season of long, lazy days, but of course, I had to remember a lot, to get the atmosphere right. … Continue reading Recreating the seasons in fiction
My Writing Process – Blog Hop
Many thanks to Jean Bull for tagging me in this blog hop. Jean is a member of the Romantic Novelists’ Association’s New Writers’ Scheme, and her 1929-set novel, Gypsy Moth, is available on Amazon. You can read the lovely reviews she’s had and find out more here. Jean also blogs, and you can follow her … Continue reading My Writing Process – Blog Hop
Top Trumps for Character Development
Since it’s nearly Christmas, and I don’t fancy putting any psychopath-related pictures on my blog, here’s a Cambridgey one instead: Ridley Hall, Cambridge, December 2013 A week ago, links to a psychopath test were circulating on Twitter; it had been put on-line by Channel Four, in the run up a related programme. I had a … Continue reading Top Trumps for Character Development
Waxing Lyrical – Poetic Pop
Got into a mad YouTube spiral last night. I’m not sure if it was the fact that it was Friday, the quantity of red wine that was flowing or what, but before I knew it, I was chain-watching the music videos of my youth and beyond. It made me realise how effectively some of my … Continue reading Waxing Lyrical – Poetic Pop
Writing Exercises – Five of the Best
In Cambridge, the weather has been like this: Everything is dripping… Nice weather for ducks, snails and slugs, and also for staying indoors, reading and writing. I’ve been battening down the hatches and eating blackberry and apple crumble. Then, feeling shifty and unproductive, I decided to get focussed and revisit some writing prompts, ready … Continue reading Writing Exercises – Five of the Best
Making the Switch – from Work to Writing
I’ve been a bit slack about blogging just recently, since I’ve just started a new job, and been temporarily overtaken by that new girl feeling of controlled panic. At least, I hope it’s temporary. So work is looming especially large at the moment, and this led to the last post on how to tackle other … Continue reading Making the Switch – from Work to Writing
Autumn: Season of Spiders and Sudden Darkness…
I find it hard to let go of summer. Suddenly, Cambridge is like this: At eight o’clock in the evening… How did that happen? However, this post, at Catherine, Caffeinated, struck just the right note to make the onset of autumn seem inspiring (rather than simply a descent into dark nights where I have to … Continue reading Autumn: Season of Spiders and Sudden Darkness…
Writing Inspiration – real life hooks, and the benefits of snooping
I wrote a couple of weeks back about my favourite hooks in fiction, but recently the importance of real-life hooks has come home to me, as triggers for my own story ideas. It’s always the tale part told that fires my imagination – a half heard conversation, a historical story where the full truth has … Continue reading Writing Inspiration – real life hooks, and the benefits of snooping
Hooks in Fiction – Five of the Best
I had a lovely lazy breakfast on Sunday, reading the latest issue of Mslexia. I’ve blogged about this magazine for women writers before. For a taste of what’s in the latest issue, click here. Inspiration is a regular section, which currently includes a series of articles on basic elements of fiction. The format is a … Continue reading Hooks in Fiction – Five of the Best
Clare Chase 